For a Minor Reflection @ The Lexington

Venue: The Lexington
Date: 02/11/09
For a Minor Reflection are a band with 56,870 plays on the social/data-nerd-networking site Last.fm, this is nothing to sneer at, but let's just say that if a band has less than 100k, you probably don't have to worry about there being no tickets left on the door. However, what separates this band from other bands of their size is one simple thing - they are an Icelandic post-rock band. Icelandic post-rock fans, and indeed - post-rock fans in general - a...

Venue: The Lexington
Date: 02/11/09
For a Minor Reflection are a band with 56,870 plays on the social/data-nerd-networking site Last.fm, this is nothing to sneer at, but let's just say that if a band has less than 100k, you probably don't have to worry about there being no tickets left on the door. However, what separates this band from other bands of their size is one simple thing - they are an Icelandic post-rock band. Icelandic post-rock fans, and indeed - post-rock fans in general - are a dedicated bunch. As I walked into The Lexington the venue felt sold out, it was absolutely jam-packed with floppy-hat wearing, slightly awkward loners who didn't look in the least bit insecure. Usually those standing on their own will be texting friends anything and everything they can think of, but this contingency of gig-goers are here for the music and that's all that matters.
Unfortunately, I arrived a little late and missed the set from The Devil May Cares. My apologies to them and I do hope I can catch them on another date. However, I was just in time to see a frustrating set from Her Name Is Calla. If you have the patience for bands like iLiKETRAiNS, I would expect you would be able to enjoy the slow-building/heavy crescendo punches of Her Name is Calla, but personally, I find it all a little too much. The melodrama is layered thick with deep, brooding vocals and brass instruments which convey a sinister, almost funeral-like atmosphere. Their aesthetic on stage comes across as near-flawless, but unfortunately the melodrama often unfolds with very little substance and you're just left wanting more.
Without much of a wait, For a Minor Reflection set up their gear, offered a few pleasantries to the audience, and launched into a noise attack that informed my ears it was going to be a long night for them. Don't get me wrong, I love loud music, but it's safe to say my ears have taken a battering over the years. After the first few minutes, FAMR soon settled into something altogether more meldodic and dreamy, which slowly built into a frantic rush of dueling guitars and powering percussion. I know what you're thinking, post-rock reviews almost write themselves, it's the same old cliched adjectives that lead you into thinking it's all wonderful, heavenly music.
The truth is - in a live setting - these cliches prove themselves to be accurate in bands of the same quality as For a Minor Reflection. I was not confronted, challenged or bored. I was simply invited into their world and I was very happy to stay. Walking out of the venue reminded me that I was in fact still in London, but once I readjusted to the rainy grime of King's Cross I felt pretty light on my feet. This was a life-affirming show and I exited completely understanding the
dedication of their followers.